A Thousand and One
by MessedupMuggle
Summary: "I am not a monster. I am a blessing. I am not a myth. I am a reality. I am not weak. I am strong. I will not surrender. I will seek justice. I am an Alice. And I am not alone." The country's at war and soon, Mikan and Natsume must choose whether to fight against each other or to fight for each other. Full summary inside.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gakuen Alice.  
**A/N: **New story! I just got this idea after reading _Legend_. Try it! It's a good book.  
This is told in two points of view: Mikan's and Natsume's.  
Also, Mikan's surname is Yukihira. I'm using that instead of Sakura.  
**Summary: **After the Forbidden Days, the Alices' existence was exposed to the public. The trouble began after a few Alice users were framed and used as evidence to support their suspicions about the subsistence of Alices. Pandemonium broke out and there came a war between the two races: the Alices and the Humans. Dragged to different alliances, Mikan and Natsume try their best to survive each day. They try in vain to hold on to their beliefs and responsibilities but a stronger force pulls them together. A force so strong that they were willing to forget their allegiances. Until they discover where their true loyalties lie—with each other.

=:=  
**A Thousand and One  
**=:=

_I am not a monster. I am a blessing.  
I am not a myth. I am a reality.  
I am not weak. I am strong.  
I will not surrender.  
I will seek justice.  
I am an Alice._

=:=

**Mikan  
**=:=

A war.

There was a war between the Alices and the Humans. It's been going on since the Forbidden Days ended six years ago and our identities were revealed to the public.

Our kind, called _Alices,_ are human beings born with special abilities. Some of us can fly, some can read minds, others can even suck out your soul. The government decided that we would be better off living within the shadows of the country. They said that we could not coexist with the humans—the _non-Alices_—because we were too different; too likely to stand out. And if by chance they learned of our powers, the country will be nothing but chaotic. Greed will overcome the population. It has happened before and it can happen again.

So we did what we were told. We lived as quietly as we could, hidden deep within the shadows. Some of us only went out at night; some acted as normal as they can during daylight. The government protected us and gave us our needs. In return, our people tried to help out. We were a big hand during foreign invasions. We were born fighters. Plus, we had powers.

We did not just helped during wars, we also exceled in the field of medicine. Many Alices experimented and found cures for illnesses that many had found hopeless. Others served the government as tracking devices, sometimes the Alice who can tell the future helped out, too.

Everyone was helping. Everyone had a role. And I knew we were of greater help than those of the normal class. And the government treated us slightly differently than them. They promised that as long as we lend our services to them, our identities will be kept safe. We complied.

And for many years, we lived peacefully. No one suspected anything. We thought we were doing alright, that we would be safe from future harm. But we were wrong.

Our existence was leaked to the public. No one knew who actually leaked it but there were rumors. Rumors about our whereabouts, our capabilities, and our duties as Alices. The rumors stayed as rumors but the people became more aware, more alert of their surroundings. Show them the slightest sign of being an Alice and you're a dead man. My father said they could do nasty things to you once they confirm your identity. They can sell you out to a laboratory abroad or ship you somewhere else as a military weapon (if your Alice is powerful). Or worse, they could kill you right then and there to lessen the already diminishing number of Alices in the land.

That's why our kind tried to lay low for a period of time. We wanted to subdue the rumors, put the flame out while it's still small. We called it the Forbidden Days. During that time, we were banned from using our Alices. Even the smallest unusual flick of a finger can attract the public's attention.

I was five then. I remember playing with a turquoise Alice stone that I found lying on the ground, making it disappear and reappear on my small palm. My mother saw me and told me to never do it again, that it was dangerous. I cried that night, thinking that my mother was mad at me. She found me, face stained with tears, squeezed between the refrigerator and the cabinet—the space in-between was just right for my size. I usually go there to cry so no one would see me. But mom knew. I know she knew of my hiding place even if I never mentioned anything to her. She just pretended she didn't. Silly mom.

My eyes sting at the memory of my mother. She died three years ago in a hostage-taking led by the Red Stags—a rebel group formed by both Alices and Humans who agreed on taking the nation for themselves. I feel disgusted just by thinking of them. Alice Traitors. Alices who could so easily turn their backs on their fellowmen just to attain power. I can never forgive them.

My parents worked for the Alice government. Since the war started, uprisings were frequent and happened from different places in the country. The nation was cut in two. The Alices occupied the East while the Humans conquered the West. Those who belonged to neither and wanted to keep themselves out of trouble fled to other countries or settled near the borderlines. My father got a higher rank than mom which they often joke about during dinnertime. He was assigned to supervise military training of Alice soldiers who fight during the war while my mother was assigned to do field missions. I tried to question why mom has to go out and fight rather than dad. My mother joked that she was better at fighting and dad can't even manage to handle a knife without fainting. I knew that my mother was stronger than dad but it always bothered me that she had to risk her life out there every time.

I also knew that dad felt the same way. He was always worried for her. I've heard them talk every night when they thought I was asleep on the couch. He would always attempt to convince her to stay at home and take care of me instead. But she would always refuse. "I do it for our nation," she said.

Nation my ass, I thought bitterly.

But deep down, I knew my mother's intention was clean. She wanted to help out as much as she could. To save our people, to save this nation, to save _me_. She wanted to give me a better place to live, a better future, a better life.

And she died because of this.

I still remember the last words she told me before she stepped out of our home that day, "Take care of yourself, Mikan. I'll be right back." She kissed my forehead. "I love you." Her voice echoes inside my head. It was so clear, like she was there beside me, whispering the words in my ear repeatedly.

"I love you." It repeated. I turn but no one was there. It's just me, alone inside my bedroom. I go back to my initial position—arms resting on my knees, head slumped against the concrete wall.

I can't help it. I let the tears fall.

=:=

Gunshots startle me awake.

I realize that I've fallen asleep on the floor. My face feels sticky. I remember crying before I slept last night. Somehow, it's becoming a habit.

I pull myself up and read the time. _3:25 am_. Great. I still have two hours before academy call time.

I sigh. I hate having extra time on my hands. I never figure out what to do with it. Most of the time, I just sit down and be idle. Sometimes, I stare off into space or cry. I couldn't help it. The tears come and go.

I decide to wash my face first and rid myself of the stickiness. I tread carefully towards the bathroom, careful not to put too much strain on my right leg. It was injured yesterday after our daily training. I recount everything that happened yesterday as I walked.

Our simulation was to rescue fifty trapped Alices inside a dilapidated warehouse filled with agents disguised as rebels. We were allowed to use our Alices and given a gun loaded with fake bullets. The fake bullets look like the real ones; the only difference is that they aren't very lethal. The guns were useless; they were just there so the officials could test our aim and shooting skills.

The trainees are supposed to be partnered up; no one should get left behind. If your partner gets left behind, both of you fail the simulation. Normally, we were grouped according to our grades so I always get Tsubasa Andou as my partner. He's a few years older than I am and has a star tattooed right below his left eye. He was a handsome boy who has several admirers from our troop. He's also intelligent, scoring nearly perfect scores in our year-end exams and almost beating me as the academy's top scorer. Almost.

"It's a shame we weren't partnered up today, Mikan," he said to me after our captain chose our partners and ordered us to line up. "Imagine the things we could have done together inside that old house," he winked playfully at me and I had to bite down on my lip to suppress a giggle. Tsubasa and I had always been like this: him playfully teasing me all the time but I knew to whom his heart belongs to and I dare not mention it to anyone. It's not my life to play with anyway. But we've always had a brother-sister relationship. He was always there to protect me as I was there to protect him.

"What things? Play doll house? No, thanks, Tsubasa-dear. Mikan-nee is busy," I replied to him in a much lower voice as I watch my captain bark orders at the agents disguised as Red Stags. They were clad in black with a head of a stag painted red on their helmets. They carried guns. Like ours, they were loaded with fake bullets. Maybe it's to see if we can survive a rain of bullets from above. I was trying to think of a way around that when the captain orders us to stay with our partners and prepare to raid.

I fixed my stance and put a hand on the gun strapped to my shoulder. Suddenly, I felt someone tap me. I turned. It was Tsubasa. He was grinning. Not just any grin—a mischievous, challenging grin. He's plotting something. A competition.

"Rescue as many Alices as you can. The loser gets to be the winner's slave for a week," he whispered next to my ear. I grinned back at him and raised an eyebrow, "just one week? Last time, you ordered me to wash your clothes for a _month_."

He looked at me, considering the idea. I pushed him more to the edge, "Or are you not confident in nailing this simulation program and beating me, cadet Andou?" His body tensed. Success.

"Of course not, cadet Yukihira. I was just thinking. You just did my laundry for a month. Would you want to be my slave for another?" He replied. I smiled at him. "Well then, have it your way. A month it is. Just don't come crying at my feet once you lose." He said as we filed inside the decaying building.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure that would never happen," I winked at him and took a different route with my partner.

I looked at my partner for the first time. Earlier, I was too preoccupied with Tsubasa that I didn't even notice him stand right next to me during the line. Now, I was awestruck by his appearance. Where Tsubasa had a movie star-like face, this guy had a face of a prince. He was charming, handsome even. No, he was _beautiful_. Blond hair sneaked out of his black cap and slightly covered his bright blue eyes. His cheekbones were high, his nose was straight, and his lips were pink unlike mine which were always pale. He could pass as a girl, I thought.

I might have been staring at him for more than usual because he coughs discreetly. I looked away and examined the interior of the warehouse. The gray paint on the walls was already peeling from different ends. There's a second floor corridor above us. Rebels could easily rain us with bullets from up there. Fallen debris and shattered glass littered the floor. To my left, I see a line of huge wooden crates probably used as storage for weapons or the like. This _is _an old warehouse; those crates could have anything inside.

I noticed the rebels searching for Alice soldiers. I motioned for my partner to follow me towards the small space between the crates. We slipped out of the rebels' view unnoticed.

"Uh, Ms. Yukihira," he called out politely.

I turned, "Yes?"

"What are you planning to do?" he asked. I tried to think. If I were one of the rebels, where would I hide the Alice hostages? Somewhere I can easily access when things get worse, somewhere the Alice soldiers wouldn't even notice. Somewhere that's not suspicious, but that's obvious to everyone.

Then I heard a cry that confirmed my thoughts. It wasn't loud, just a muffled whimper.

The crates. The hostages were crammed inside the wooden crates.

In my head, I formulated a plan. There are rebels lining the corridors above us. If we go out now, we'd be in the open and will most likely get shot. We'll both fail. We needed a diversion. Someone who could distract the rebels while someone tries to free the hostages from the crates. But how?

As if on cue, one of my fellow cadets goes out and fires at the rebels. What an idiot, I thought as I watched her. The rebels turn towards her and fires at will. The young cadet falls to the ground because of the impact. She puts a hand on her chest and ceases to move. Then I began to wonder. Was she really _shot_ with real bullets? I watched her immobile body lying on the cold pavement. But there was no blood. It can't possibly be…

"Those aren't real bullets," my partner said suddenly after he followed my gaze. I turned to him. "I hear they put something inside them, a bluish liquid that can momentarily paralyze your muscles, making you unable to move."

"How long are the effects?" I asked, eyeing the frozen girl again.

"I don't know. Maybe until this whole simulation thing is over," he replied. I exhaled. I must not let even one bullet hit me.

After that one female cadet, many others followed. Cadets ran from all directions. More rebels came. But the cadets weren't subdued easily. They were enough to keep the rebels busy, I thought. I turned to my partner. "The hostages are inside the wooden crates. We'll have to bust them open. You work on that one," I point at the crate nearest to our current hiding place. "I heard someone whimper in that crate. I'm sure there are Alices inside." The boy nods in understanding. He then approaches the crate I pointed out and I leave him to his own devices for now.

I walked cautiously from crate to crate. Listening closely for voices and leaving those which were empty. While I was doing this, a rebel saw me. He pointed his gun at me, fingers circling the trigger...fingers ready to shoot. The sound of the gun comes but I feel nothing hit my chest. Instead, I find a body covering me. I lift my eyes and meet Tsubasa's dark blue irises. He grins at me, "You owe me one." Then he falls as rigid as a rock to the ground.

My eyes widened but I grabbed steadily for my gun and shot the rebel within seconds. He fell to the ground as well. I looked back at Tsubasa. His eyes were closed, as if he was asleep. I made a mental note to thank him later though. I continued what I was doing earlier until I reached a particular crate.

Someone was crying. A kid. A second voice cried out. Two. Other cries followed. No, there are many of them inside.

Children.

I pulled out the lock-picker attached to my belt. I always carried it with me in case I get in trouble with doors. And since I always lose my house keys.

I hurriedly inserted it inside the keyhole with trembling hands. I'm panicking. I need to stay calm. The screaming cadets behind me aren't helping my nerves so are the cries inside the crate. Calm. I need calm.

I breathed in deep then I heard a tiny click. It's open. I pulled the door open. Out came five Alice children. All of them wore tattered clothing and scared expressions. The youngest one had tears in his eyes.

I didn't waste a second.

I rounded them up and ushered them to the hiding place me and my partner used earlier. I wondered if he's still there though. A rebel ran towards us but I send him down with a bullet. Another one tried to attack from behind but I elbowed his gut.

I scanned the perimeter. I saw my partner and signaled him to exit through the small opening under the stairs that I've noticed in my earlier search. Rebels guarded the entrance and exits, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The small opening is our only chance of escape. My partner understood and hurried the rescued hostages out. Afterwards, he got himself out. When I and the children reached the opening, I hurry them out of the hole one after the other. The one in front went out first.

Four children left.

I saw a rebel charging. I fired at him. He slammed onto the pavement.

Three children left.

The cadets were losing. One by one, they fell to the ground. The enemies were closing in.

Two children left.

I searched for Tsubasa. I didn't see him. I started to panic.

One more left.

The youngest one, a little boy who looked no more than three years old, stared at me. I stared back at him and told him to crawl outside. He didn't seem to understand. He just stared. I looked back at him then I noticed. He wasn't looking _at _me. He was looking _behind_ me.

I turned but it was too late. The rebel was going to hit me with the hilt of his gun to knock me out. I covered my face with my arms, hoping it would reduce the impact of the hit. Then something happened. White souls sprung out of nowhere and attacked the rebel. He flailed with his arms, desperately trying to shoo away the spirits. He dropped his gun by my feet. I could not believe my eyes.

I looked at the young boy next to me. I'm sure he had just used his Alice. I asked him to crawl through the hole and he did what he was told. Once he was outside, he looked back at me and I smiled at him. I was about to thank him when he gestured urgently for me to look behind again. I did and the same rebel was using his levitation Alice to throw at me one of the wooden crates. I panic. I'm a dead girl.

He swings his arms and I close my eyes.

I hear a shriek—possibly my own voice—and feel a searing pain in my right knee.

Then everything fades to black.

When I woke up, I was lying on the hospital bed. My right knee was bandaged up and my father was sleeping next to me, holding my hand. He might have felt me stir so he woke up as well. He touched my forehead.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. I could feel the tension in his voice.

"I'm fine, dad. Just a little sore," I replied to him. I shouldn't worry him. I know he already has a lot on his mind.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?" He asked again. I smile weakly.

"Thanks, dad, but I'm not yet hungry. I'll let you know when I am though," I told him.

"Okay, then. Just rest here, understand? Don't strain yourself until you're fully recovered." He ordered me. "I still have something I need to finish in the office. I'll have someone to get you home."

I nodded in agreement. "Thanks, dad." He smiled then I was alone.

I splash my face with water, pulling my mind from yesterday's events.

I look at my reflection in the mirror but I see the face of my mother instead.

Brown hair. Brown eyes. Full cheeks. Pale skin.

But no matter how much I look like my mom, the reflection I see is slightly different.

The smile's missing.

I remember my mom's face. The way she would always smile at me and my dad. Her adorable laugh sounds in my head. I can't shove it away. I can't.

I'm crying again.

I hold the sink to support myself.

And as the tears fall from my eyes, I make a promise:

I _will _find the Red Stags. I _will _vanquish them all. I _will _find my mother's killer. And I _will _kill him.

I'll _kill_ him.

=:=

**A/N: **Uh, hi. Sorry for the errors. My eyes are too tired to proofread. Read and review, yeah? Also, try reading Legend! (Yes, I am promoting the book). I think it's like Divergent but you know, they have different plots totally anyway so…

Also, I'm thinking of changing the title once I find a better one. For now, I'm stuck with A Thousand and One. Don't worry, it'll make sense eventually, I hope. But one of these days, I'll find something better…

A Change of Heart might be discontinued (I don't know what's happening there anymore, I'm sorry!). I might rewrite it again or just throw the idea away entirely. If you have any suggestions, PM me or leave a review.

Thank you so much for reading.


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